Horse Chestnut

hey yeah, that might be pretty cool, thanks!

ill give this one a go first though...

uh, yet another n00b question - is there a depth at which it is reasonable to stop trying to follow goey-downy roots? im working on what im hoping are the main bunch, and ive dug more than a foot and a half, and they just keep going!

im ok on more basic plant stuff, but i dont know anything about roots...

im finding a camping knife and a screwdriver are easiest things to dig with coz of all the pebbles and broken glass....

 

ah, just read what i wrote and thought hmmm....

all downy roots are not taproots! i am clever.

found the actual taproot, got confused as bricks have made roots grow a bit funny

right given as how pot is about 14 inches, i guess i should aim for about a foot of taproot.

 

Hi Sky,

I wish I'd jumped on this thread earlier. My advice to you would be to save yourself a lot of time, energy and agro by removing the tree completely and buying yourself one that's already pot-grown.

Firstly; Tree roots are highly sensitive to damage and movement. A lot of tree-killing bacteria and fuingi lie await in soils and by disturbing the roots of trees you make them susceptible to infection.

Secondly; Also, a tree grows in relation to the amount of anchorage, water and nutrients it absorbs from the water. By digging up a tree from the ground where it has grown accustomed and is growing nicely, and stuffing it into a container where you're not going to meet its usual water & nutrient level, you could be asking for trouble.

Sorry to come down on you regarding this little tree, but I really think you're better off getting rid of it and starting again with something new.

 

yeah, i realise its quite likely to die, but I was having fun digging really.

I probably like digging too much.

i think it may have a little chance because its situation in the ground was dreadful, there was a lot of weird stuff down there, but im not gonna be too upset if it dies, coz at least I've got a slightly better grasp on roots.

 

Tree update and another question

The tree leaves were not looking good for some time although they and the wood of the tree were alive. I did do some trimming of particularly manky looking sections which was most of it. The leaves all properly died about 3 weeks ago, but then a week and a half ago I noticed two buds about 2 inches from the base of the tree.

I went away on holiday not expecting the buds to have survived but now there are about 6/7 leaves all growing near the base looking quite happy. The wood on at least the top half of the tree is all dead now.

My question is should I do anything or just leave well enough alone? No pics im afraid, my camera is dead.

 

Basal shoots are referred to as epicormic growth and are a sign of distress in the tree. Basically the tree is shutting down and putting its remaining energy in a final flush of growth. So, although you may think that the leaves are 'happy', in fact it's quite the opposite.

I still stand by what I said earlier and remove and replant. But you could cut out any dead wood as it's not going to suddenly come back to life.

 

Ah, I see, not a brilliant sign then...

thanks for your reply, just knowing what it is is a big help!